News in August

University of Bristol welcomes new Vice-Chancellor2 September 2015Professor Hugh Brady takes over as Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bristol today [2 September]. He becomes the University’s 13th Vice-Chancellor, taking over from Professor Sir Eric Thomas who retired last month after 14 years as academic leader and chief executive of the world-leading university.

Study suggests couples need better antenatal care following fertility treatment1 September 2015Couples who have successfully conceived following fertility treatment need additional antenatal care and support, new research has found. Two per cent of all births in the UK are a result of fertility treatments such as IVF. An increasing body of evidence suggests the needs of these parents are often not adequately addressed, leaving them feeling abandoned in some cases.

Just how good (or bad) is the fossil record of dinosaurs?28 August 2015Everyone is excited by discoveries of new dinosaurs – or indeed any new fossil species. But a key question for palaeontologists is ‘just how good is the fossil record?’ Do we know fifty per cent of the species of dinosaurs that ever existed, or ninety per cent or even less than one per cent? And how can we tell?

Professor Charles Tomlinson, 1927-201525 August 2015Charles Tomlinson, Professor Emeritus in the Department of English and an internationally acclaimed poet, died on 22 August 2015 aged 88. His colleague and friend, Professor David Hopkins, offers a remembrance.

Cutting public spending on the old is not the answer to youth crisis24 August 2015Young people’s falling long-term economic prospects are not down to older people in society hoarding all the wealth, and will not be improved by cutting pensioner benefits to fund more public spending on young people, according to a new TUC report which draws on analysis by researchers from the University of Bristol.

Entrepreneurs invited to Engine Shed for Pitch@Palace20 August 2015Tech start-ups have the chance to apply to showcase their businesses when the Pitch@Palace tour arrives in Bristol. The event, run by the Duke of York, sees entrepreneurs pitch their business in front of the royal enterprise champion.

Tough Mudder challenge for paralysed student Rob20 August 2015Student Rob Camm will be the first tetraplegic in the world to take part in a Tough Mudder challenge – navigating the gruelling course on a special wheelchair which he controls with his chin. The 21-year-old, who studies politics and philosophy at the University of Bristol, was left paralysed from the neck down and is reliant on a ventilator after a car crash two years ago.

Scientists discover link between childhood IQ and bipolar disorder19 August 2015New research by scientists at the Universities of Glasgow, Bristol, Cardiff and Texas suggests that serious disorders of mood such as bipolar disorder may be the price that human beings have had to pay for more adaptive traits such as intelligence, creativity and verbal proficiency. The findings are published today in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

Make Sunday Special takes science and history to the streets19 August 2015Visitors to future Make Sunday Special events can expect to learn about science and history, as experts from the University of Bristol bring their research to the popular street parties. Upcoming neighbourhood events in Easton, Hartcliffe and Avonmouth will include the opportunity to get involved with some of the ground-breaking projects happening on their doorstep.

Most comprehensive projections for West Antarctica’s future revealed18 August 2015A new international study, led by the University of Bristol, is the first to use a high-resolution, large-scale computer model to estimate how much ice the West Antarctic Ice Sheet could lose over the next couple of centuries, and how much that could add to sea-level rise.

BBC chef and food scientists unite to improve healthy school meals 17 August 2015The factors that drive children’s choices of food and the most effective ways of making healthy meals more appetising to young tastes, will be the focus of a free public workshop [15 Sep] hosted by the University of Bristol's Elizabeth Blackwell Institute. The event, which brings together food psychologists, nutritionists, public health experts, award-winning chefs and school representatives, aims to find different approaches to improving children’s nutrition in school.

New optical chip lights up the race for quantum computer14 August 2015The microprocessor inside a computer is a single multipurpose chip that has revolutionised people’s life, allowing them to use one machine to surf the web, check emails and keep track of finances. Now, researchers from the University of Bristol in the UK and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) in Japan, have pulled off the same feat for light in the quantum world by developing an optical chip that can process photons in an infinite number of ways.

Undergraduate Admissions 201513 August 2015The University of Bristol received over 41,000 applications for around 4,500 undergraduate places available across the full range of subjects.

New clues to the fate of America’s lost colony
12 August 2015Archaeologists from the University of Bristol have uncovered artefacts that they believe may help solve the long-running mystery of the fate of the first English colonists in North America. Excavations on the Island of Hatteras (North Carolina) have discovered a number of artefacts, dated to late 16th century, which point to the possibility that the colonists assimilated into the local Native American tribe. It is hoped these early findings could solve one of America’s greatest historical mysteries.

Students endorse Bristol’s teaching in 2015 NSS12 August 2015The University of Bristol has achieved some significant successes in the 2015 National Student Survey (NSS), scoring higher than the sector average across the institution for teaching, and showing marked improvement on last year’s performance in many subject areas.

‘Withdrawn’ comes to a close with fish and chips event11 August 2015To mark the end of art installation ‘Withdrawn’ by Luke Jerram at Leigh Woods, academics from the University of Bristol’s Cabot Institute will talk about how our seas are changing at a final event with fish and chips cooked by Michelin-starred chef Josh Eggleton on Sunday 23 August.

Planting for pollinators10 August 2015Pollinator-friendly planters are being installed in locations across Bristol, including on the University campus, as part of the ‘Get Bristol Buzzing’ initiative to encourage bees, butterflies and other pollinators in the city.

Calling all Teddy Boys and Girls: the Clevedon Pier roadshow needs you!10 August 2015Were you one of the Teddy Boys or Girls who danced the night away at the Clevedon Pier dance hall? Do you remember the Wurlitzer juke box on the pier? What were the hit tunes you enjoyed at the time? What memories do you have of fun times on the pier? Anyone with memories and anecdotes of the Clevedon Pier is invited to come along to an open day at the pier on Friday 14 August as part of the People’s Pier Project, a study into the popular culture of seaside piers and how they fit with today’s society.

New book highlights global volcanic hazards and risks7 August 2015Three University of Bristol volcanologists – Professor Steve Sparks, Dr Susanna Jenkins and Dr Sarah Brown – are lead editors and authors of a new book, Global Volcanic Hazards and Risks, published this month.

£2 million boost for heart research in Bristol7 August 2015New tests and therapies to improve the treatment of people with coronary heart disease requiring bypass surgery are being developed at the University of Bristol thanks to new research funding from the British Heart Foundation (BHF). The charity has announced grants of £2 million as part of the appointment of Costanza Emanueli as BHF Professor of Cardiovascular Science.

Children of the 90s flock to see Rex5 August 2015Dozens of participants in the world-famous Children of the 90s project flocked to see Rex, their Shaun in the City sculpture, outside the Royal West of England Academy yesterday (4 August).

Dr Christopher Holmes, 1953-20154 August 2015Dr Christopher Holmes, a senior lecturer and researcher in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology from 1984 to 2007, died recently. Professor Chris Paraskeva, former PhD student Dr Jim Houlihan, and other friends and colleagues offer their tributes.